Rousey vs. ‘Cyborg’ Just a Matter of Time

With two world championships on the line,
Invicta 5 carried a lot of hype.

Michelle
Waterson defied the odds, surviving some vicious
ground-and-pound, successfully defending a Jessica Pene armbar in
the third round and returning with one of her own in the fourth,
snatching the atomweight title from the top-ranked fighter in the
division -- defeating a grappling whiz at her own game.

The Brazilian powerhouse racked up an astounding 10 consecutive
wins before her bout with Hiroko
Yamanaka (which would’ve been number 11) was overturned by the
CSAC due to testing positive for the anabolic steroid stanozolol.
Speculation of PEDs had begun to surface long before, even prior to
Cyborg defeating media darling Gina Carano
for the women’s featherweight title on Aug. 15, 2009.

After a year-long suspension and $2,500 fine (and with Invicta
Fighting Championships instituting PED testing), all eyes were on
Cyborg to see how she’d fare following a 16-month layoff. And when
Cyborg’s first scheduled opponent, Ediane
Gomes, pulled out of the fight with an injury, Fiona
Muxlow came in as a late replacement.

The fight wasn’t even close. After dropping the Australian with a
right cross, Cyborg landed heavy punches, ending the mauling with a
series of hooks and knees until referee “Big” John McCarthy had
seen enough.

Who’s next for Cyborg? This victory paves the way for a rematch
with Marloes
Coenen, which will take place at Invicta 6.

If Cyborg can get by the very skilled Coenen, perhaps Ediane
Gomes or Julia Budd
will get the next shot. These potential opponents notwithstanding,
it’s hard not to view a very dominant Cyborg -- who not only scores
victory after victory but also utterly demolishes her opponents --
as a step above the rest of the women in the division.

And yet the most marketable bout to date -- the one that seems
destined not to take place -- would put a rest to her ongoing
rivalry with UFC women’s bantamweight champ Ronda
Rousey.

Rousey -- who began calling out Cyborg as an amateur before
dropping down to bantamweight and taking the world of women’s MMA
by storm -- insists the fight take place at 135, and with Cyborg’s
suspension came the dissolution of Zuffa’s 145-lb. division.

The judo Olympic silver medalist has her hands full with the
upcoming season of TUF, followed by a match against the winner of
Meisha Tate vs. Cat Zingano.
Many of her victims are vying for a rematch, and both Sara McMann
and Alexis
Davis also are lining up for a shot.

With Invicta Fighting Championships promising 4 fight cards a
year,that may not be enough time to build up potential contenders
for the belt (or any that stand a chance against Justino). And if
Cyborg does indeed continue her streak in Invicta, and Rousey
continues to dominate in the UFC, an unholy mess could be brewing.
Although agreeing on which weight the bout will be contested seems
to be a point of contention, perhaps it’s only a matter of
time.